Summertime Starbucks
During the summer is a time where it is so hot out that you need a nice cold summertime drink to get you through the day. At Starbucks, we tried three fun drinks for the summertime, so we could tell you the best things to get there this summer! Kaitlin tried the Strawberry Refresher, Jordan tried the Passion Tango Tea Lemonade, and Olivia tried the S’mores Frappocino.
Olivia’s SUMMER S’MORE’S
Olivia’s choice of Starbuck’s summer drink was the S’mores. When she drank the S’more’s drink, she felt the good ol’ summertime memories. This made Olivia think of sitting around the campfire with family and friends eating s’mores. The drink was really tasty and felt like a cold coffee on your tastebuds. This cold coffee had whip cream toppled on the top, had some graham crackers mixed in with the whip cream to give it more of a s’mores effect. The drink also had a layer of carmel on it, just to make your tastebuds go into a whirlwind. Overall, this drink is a need for the summer time!
RATE: 8/10
Kaitlin’s VERY BERRY STRAWBERRY REFRESHER
Kaitlin’s choice of Starbucks was the Strawberry Lemonade Refresher. This drink is full of tiny dry strawberries and a taste of sweetness that keeps you wanting to drink more. This drink is like a sweet and sour taste. It is one fun looking pink drink you just have to try! This drink is a go-to drink that should be one of your new favorites.
RATE: 9/10
Jordan’s FUN PASSION TANGO TEA
Jordan tried the Passion Tango Tea with lemonade. It was very refreshing, but a little bit too sweet. If you need a summer refresher or need a little bit of sweetness to brighten your day, try this drink!
RATE: 7/10
Hi I'm Olivia Brinkman! I am a senior at Sartell High School. Some things that I enjoy is going to grab a cup of coffee at Starbucks with my friends and...
Hi, I'm Kaitlin Koch, and I am a person that enjoys life. I love long car rides and adventuring with my best friends. When I am at home I am watching One...
My name is Jordan Mareck, and I am a senior at SHS. I enjoy trying to play tennis and yelling at the refs during basketball games. This is my second and...
Cryptids of America by region
Over 2,000 species go extinct per year, and that is being conservative. There are some creatures that will never go extinct and those are the ones we hold in our imaginations.
Midwest
Loveland Frog Man
The first sightings of the “Loveland Lizard” were allegedly in 1955 specifically in the month of May. People report that they see it late at night on deserted highways in Loveland, Ohio. An Ohio woman also states that a large creature in the Ohio River grabbed her while she was swimming in the mid 1960’s. However, the 1950’s were not the actual first sightings of this creature. Native American tribes of the area also have a record of a large reptilian “demon” that would kill their warriors. One tribe was the Shawnahooc who detailed the reptile as large and bipedal and this legend was passed down for generations, but when they were pushed away from their land, the reptilian demon stayed. There are numerous police reports that detail frightening encounters of this odd cryptid and the people of Ohio really do believe this creature exists in its lakes and rivers.
South
Skunk Ape
Florida’s Everglades are known for many things, but none more disputed than the Bigfoot- esque creature, the Skunk Ape. Starting in the ’50’s and ’60’s people began talking about the large, smelly being in the woods. No one is more dedicated to this legendary creature than Dave Shealy, who first saw the Ape when he was 10 years old. He believes that there are 7 to 9 Skunk Apes living in the Everglades currently. There is no collective legend of this creature, so it can only be speculated how people started believing in this. There are many “explanations” for the sightings of this creature one common one being that these people are just seeing a large smelly black bear, but people don’t like this explanation very much. Another huge point that is made by skeptics is that people are putting on hairy, smelly costumes and walking around the Everglades. No matter what anyone says, there is no way to change the minds of the people that believe.
North East
Jersey Devil
This legend has a more morbid history than the others. According to legend, in 1735 a woman named Jane Leeds had 12 children and was pregnant with a 13th, before giving birth, Jane, nicknamed “Mother Leeds,” cursed the child. When the child arrived, shortly after birth, it sprouted horns, hooves, and a goat- like face and killed the midwife. Some believe that Jane was a witch and the child was that of the Devil himself, and others believe that after the child was born the local clergymen tried to exorcise the creature, but instead gave it wings and it went on killing local children. Witnesses recently have claimed that it is the size of a large horse and resides in the woods until nightfall and has a blood curdling scream that can be heard for miles.
West
Chupacabra
The Chupacabra, named after its blood sucking habits has origins in 1995 Puerto Rico and has since moved to southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Legend has it that it is a mixture of a dog, coyote, wolf and an odd scaly creature created by accident in rural Puerto Rico. It is allegedly responsible for thousands of livestock deaths since its first appearances in the late 90’s. The Chupacabra is known to leave three puncture holes in its victims, draining them of all blood before mutilating them. Farmers are the most affected by this, and they are the most common demographic for sightings and believers. Various specimens and bodies of supposed Chupacabras have surfaced and have been tested, some come back with results that say that it is a coyote or dog that had a skin disease called mange, but others were deemed inconclusive. Regardless, if you see a strange dog on the side of the road in the southwest portion of the U.S, maybe think twice about picking it up.
As a Senior™ at Sartell High School, I am fully aware of how powerful a spoken Vine™ (rest in peace) reference can be, and I'm hoping this can get...
Binge or Bust: Special
Special is a new Netflix original series that sheds a fresh perspective to individuals living with cerebral palsy.
Ryan O’Connell stars in and wrote this series following the everyday life of the main character (Ryan), a gay man living with cerebral palsy. Ryan is an aspiring journalist who finds an internship opportunity at a popular website and takes the job aspiring for what he considers a “normal lifestyle.”
This show has particularly short episodes which could be a blessing or a curse. If you need a quick show to fill in your schedule this is a good choice, but you won’t feel as proud when you are finished binging. Though not all of us are in the same situation as Ryan, while watching, this show is easily relatable. Ryan finds it difficult to come to terms with his true self and identity, which I think is something everyone suffers with from time to time.
I definitely recommend this show if you want a fresh perspective on issues that are not often projected through the media. It allows you to broaden your mind to other issues outside of the world we are all used to.
Hello, I'm Alexis Miller. I am currently a senior at Sartell High School where I enjoy partaking in procrastination and naps. In my spare time I enjoying...
Alabama public television rejects Arthur’s same-sex wedding episode
A photo from the Arthur episode featuring the same-sex wedding
The first episode of the PBS children’s show “Arthur” hit off the 22nd season that included a same-sex marriage.
Initially, the program, titled “Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone,” was to be aired on May 13, but for the state of Alabama, its network has no intentions to ever broadcast the episode.
The series premiere outlined the wedding of Arthur’s third-grade teacher, Mr. Ratburn marrying his “special someone,” named Patrick. Arthur and a handful of his classmates attended the event.
Unfortunately, Alabama Public Television (APT) has a history of censoring content. Back in 2005, the station refused to air a spin-off episode about a character from Arthur, named Buster, in which Buster encountered a girl with two mothers.
APT aired a re-run episode in place of the show that executive director, Allan Pizzato, thought would make parents distrust the station and its programming.
Mike McKenzie, the program director of APT, released in the following statement: “Parents have trusted Alabama Public Television for more than 50 years to provide children’s programs that entertain, educate and inspire.”
A media advocacy group for the LGBTQ community, labeled GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), spoke out to draw attention to the matter.
The CEO, Sarah Ellis, stated that APT’s decision to censor the material was not only “mean-spirited, but also a losing battle.”
The organization also criticized the action as discrimination, and LGBTQ parents and children deserve to see that representation portrayed accurately in the media.
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I am Brinn Akervik and a senior at Sartell High School. I have found myself naturally drawn towards artistic expression, especially through visual media,...
ePAWsode 16
The Sartell Doghouse was created to allow students of Sartell to show their beloved pets to the rest of the school. Since it began as a feature in fall of 2017, 40+ pets have been featured as a part of the Sartell Doghouse.
For the 16th and final edition of the Sartell Doghouse, Wrigley Weno takes the stage. Wrigley is a 10-month-old Golden Doodle, and he is a part of senior Matt Weno’s family.
Wrigley is a very friendly pup, and he loves to meet new people, playing with other dogs, cuddling his humans.
Wrigley, aka “Wrigs,” loves to cuddle anyone, but he especially loves to snuggle up with his mom and big sister. When Wrigley isn’t in cuddle-mode, he loves to play tug of war with his favorite stuffed rhino. Wrigley is still learning the ropes of the big world that he lives in, and he has almost mastered the art of fetch.
Wrigley became a Weno in September of 2018, after Matt and his sister had spent years begging for a dog. Now that Wrigley is a part of the family, he never fails to put a smile on his family members’ faces when they come home from work or school.
In the fall, Wrigley will have to adjust to life without his big brother as Matt goes off to college. Before Matt leaves for college he would love to be able to tell Wrigley how much he means to the family and that he will be missed.
I will miss Wrigley a lot next year, however, it will be very fun to see him when I come home to visit.”
— Matt Weno
Click here to read about the past featured pups and cats from the SHS Doghouse!
My name is Jordan Mareck, and I am a senior at SHS. I enjoy trying to play tennis and yelling at the refs during basketball games. This is my second and...
GMOs: Good or Bad?
GMOs get a bad rap but they aren't as bad as everyone thinks.
According to the USDA, over 90% of crops harvested in the U.S. have been genetically modified for at least the past five years.
The story of GMOs starts all the way back in the 1930s when DNA was first discovered by a Russian scientist named Andrei Nikolaevitch Belozersky. Then nothing really happened for the next forty years until the early 1970s when geneticist, Stanley Cohen, and biochemist, Herbert Boyer worked together to create the very first manmade DNA that was given the name rDNA.
Fast forward to 1980, this was the first time in history that a living organism was patented. Then in the 90s GMO foods were put on the shelves of grocery stores across America, and soon to follow them was a required label that shows which foods contain GMOs. Today, the majority of crops in the U.S. are genetically modified, and now people are pushing to lower that number.
More info about the rise in GMO popularity can be found here
GMOs aren’t all bad despite what some may believe. GMOs were invented to benefit the people, not be a detriment to them. In fact, GMOs have helped save some species of plant from going extinct like the Hawaiian papayas, which were threatened by a virus that could’ve wiped them out completely. GMOs increase the overall crop yield, which then increases the amount of life that can be supported. With the seeds being modified to be resistant to diseases and pests, it decreases the amount of pesticides that need to be used overall. A problem in Minnesota that GMOs could fix is saving ash trees from emerald ash borers, an invasive species that kills ash trees. Minnesota has more ash trees than any other state, and modifying the genes of these trees could potentially save them.
To be honest, there aren’t that many downsides to GMOs. The potential carcinogens that are talked about are from chemicals like Round-up that are often sprayed on the crops. But the resistance that is modified in the crops reduces the need for pesticides like Round-up. Since these plants have been modified to be resistant to some agricultural techniques, it can lead to the plants becoming weedy and invasive. With how resistant these crops are, they can weed out the competition of other crops and lower the overall biodiversity. In the big picture, however, the pros outweigh the cons.
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As spring arrives, construction follows
This spring, Sartell is riddled with orange cones. As soon as the snow melts, construction jobs begin. After a long winter, roads are inundated with potholes and there are new developments to be built.
One of the more notable projects is the new Sartell Public Safety Center. Driving down Pinecone Road you’ll see the center being built. Sartell paid $15 million for the building that will serve as the hub for the police and firefighters of Sartell. The land was owned by Kathleen Theisen. As a result, Sartell residents will see a 3-4 percent city tax increase.
Right across from the Public Safety Center is another addition to Sartell’s infrastructure. However, this one has a lot less information available. What it is bound to become is not known at this moment.
Along with the two larger projects, Sartell is also repairing the city after a long, rough winter. The neverending snow and cold created tons of potholes. These small sinkholes started showing up as the temperatures started rising. As seen in these pictures, some of the potholes are a larger undertaking. The one below is almost taking up an entire street corner.
A huge pothole on a street corner, the repairs just started this week.
Another project finishing in Sartell is the Snap Time Fitness, which is replacing Fouqette Auto. They are converting the former auto shop into a 24-hour gym. It didn’t take them long and the gym is almost ready to open. The gym will no doubt be popular because of its convenience for residents.
The new Snap Fitness center opening up in Sartell near the bridge
Hopefully, the construction in Sartell will finish soon as summer begins so residents can enjoy a quiet summer with all the new developments.
Hey guys, I'm a senior here and this is my second year in journalism so I'm basically a pro now. If you're looking for me you can usually find me asleep...
Graduating students relieved of all student-debt loans
Morehouse college grads this year will have all of their college debt wiped out.
During College graduation at Morehouse College in Atlanta on Sunday, billionaire tech investor and philanthropist Robert F. Smith pledged to wipe out 396 students’ student-loan debts
Robert F. Smith announced on Sunday that he will be taking care of over 40 million dollars of student debt.
When Smith announced that he was going to take care of the debts of 396 graduating students, the crowd grew wild and shocked looks greeted Smith.
During the graduation speech Smith gave, he exclaimed,
My family is going to create a grant to eliminate your student loans…you great Morehouse men are bound only by the limits of your own conviction and creativity.”
— Smith
Smith called the gift of relieving the debts of many students “a little fuel.” A Morehouse rep told NBC news that the total amount that is being paid by Smith is $40 million which should be more than enough to cover all of the grads’ loans.
Smith was a chemical engineer before going into investment and private equity. Smith also received an honorary doctorate from Morehouse during the ceremony on Sunday. During his speech, he quoted the civil rights icon, Martin Luther King,
When Dr.King said that the ‘arc of the moral universe bends toward justice’, he wasn’t saying it bends on its own accord. It bends because we choose to put our shoulders into it together and push.”
— Smith
The graduating senior and magna cum laude (basically ahead of his graduating class), Ross D. Jordan couldn’t immediately grasp that Smith was doing such an amazing thing for his students.
It took a couple of seconds for everyone to actually comprehend what was happening and it lit our heart in a way we haven’t felt, as well as gave our parents a sigh of relief to know that our hard work is being paid off.” — Ross D. Jordan told CNN News
I have lived in Sartell for 4 years now, and I am a senior at Sartell High school. I have a tenth-grade brother who attends SHS and three other siblings...
Mindfulness in education: is it actually helpful?
Photo by Danyelle Yoerg
Taking a break from the busyness of everyday life is proven to positively affect those who practice this tactic of mindfulness.
Mindfulness is defined as “the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.” Many schools have adopted the techniques of applying mindfulness throughout the school day. The founding father of secular mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn, described mindfulness as ‘being alive and knowing it.’
Sartell High School has applied small bits of mindfulness throughout Sabre Advisory. Some students are for it and some think it is a waste of time, but what are the true facts of how mindfulness affects students?
According to the National Institutes of Health, one in eight children in the United States suffers from anxiety disorders. Roughly one in five students suffer from a mental illness or learning disorder. As a way to combat these shocking statistics, teachers and education administrators decided to try a new way of relieving stress.
Studies have shown that by integrating mindfulness practice in schools, students may benefit through an increased focus, self-control, attention span, academic performance, and overall well-being, as well as decreased levels of stress, anxiety, and disruptive behavior.
Many confuse meditating with mindfulness, while meditating may bring you mindfulness, it is not a necessary action to partake in. Mindfulness is more so a practice of stopping and noticing. It is important to stop and take a breather from the busyness of everyday life. These moments offer space to make clear choices and just ‘be.’
It can also help focus attention to what is happening in the now and not what will happen in the future or what has already happened. This awareness allows people to respond more skillfully to whatever is thrown at them in the present moment.
Loading ...The most common form of mindfulness in schools is taking a small amount of time to sit and focus on intentional breathing patterns. For example, taking a deep breath in for five seconds, holding it for five seconds, and then exhaling for five seconds. By focusing on breathing it allows the mind to relax and destress.
Stress from studying for the ACT or applying to college could be greatly reduced if students focused on the now and not the future. With the help of a little mindfulness throughout the school day, students could take a break from all the pressures of school and put the nonstop busyness on pause.
Hi! I am Danyelle, and I am currently a senior. Throughout my 18 trips around the sun, I have spent a majority of it sleeping, playing with kids, or taking...
SAT ‘adversity score’ could help close the gap between privilege and hardship
The SAT score has been previously proven to be catered to a wealthier sample of student test takers; however, the College Board has announced a new “adversity score” which could potentially help students facing hardships.
The new adversity score, officially known as the Environmental Context Dashboard, will reportedly be calculated based on 15 factors relating to a student’s educational and socioeconomic background.
The score will be based on factors such as the crime rate and poverty level in students’ neighborhoods, along with other factors that could contribute to a student’s disadvantage. According to the College Board, the new score will be given directly to college admissions and the students will not receive their adversity scores.
The adversity score was recently introduced on Thursday, following recent college admission scandals in which wealthy parents were found guilty of manipulating college admission practices (such as SAT scores) so that their children could attend a certain college.
Parents of wealthy students have expressed concern over the new adversity score; however, the score is not designed to overlook the hard work of students simply because of their socioeconomic status. Instead, the adversity score will provide students with a lack of resources in their home life to be considered equally.
Click here to read more about the new score.
My name is Jordan Mareck, and I am a senior at SHS. I enjoy trying to play tennis and yelling at the refs during basketball games. This is my second and...
Contrary to popular thought, Goodwill does not take just anything
The front view of a local Goodwill thrift store in St. Cloud.
In Port St. Lucie in Florida local police and bomb squad were called to a nearby Goodwill store last Thursday morning, May 16th, 2019, as an inert grenade was located in the location’s donation bin.
Last year on July 27th, 2018, a comparable event occurred with an inactive grenade in the donation bin at a similar Goodwill just across the town of St. Lucie, Florida. Employees of the store phoned 911, and officers arrived to vacate the premises, leaving this Goodwill empty for only 90 minutes.
Thrift stores like Goodwill are unable to accept items that are unsafe and hazardous to the public, and the website specifically touches on weapons that include grenades or even BB guns.
I am Brinn Akervik and a senior at Sartell High School. I have found myself naturally drawn towards artistic expression, especially through visual media,...
The major developments of the 2019 college admissions scandal
Colleges that have the potential to be a part of an admissions scandal
Actress Felicity Huffman, publicly known for her character in Desperate Housewives, appeared in federal court this past Monday, May 13th, 2019, as she pled guilty to cheating and bribing officials to improve her daughter’s test scores, influencing a college’s decision in accepting or rejecting a student.
What led this investigation to unfold was the lead from a separate investigation including Morrie Tobin, who was being searched for security and financial fraud. Tobin assumed giving investigators a tip on the scandal would give him better odds in not getting prosecuted himself.
Tobin’s tip brought them to Rick Singer, the college admissions consultant and mastermind behind it all. In total, Singer took in more than $25 millions from wealthy parents to get their under qualified kids into top ranked schools.
And it wasn’t only Singer who faced federal charges.
Nine elite school coaches, two SAT and ACT administrators, exam proctors, college administrates, along with dozens of parents including Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin.
Numerous coaches from schools like Yale, Georgetown, University of Austin, Wake Forest University, and Stanford are being held accountable and fired.
Singer was able to get away with the scandal by concealing massive payments as charitable contributions to the Key Worldwide Foundation, which was a made-up nonprofit started to help poorer students but was created by Singer to launder money from parents who paid him.
Loughlin publicly stated that she is refusing to admit to anything in connection with the scandal, although she has been accused with paying $500,000 to Rick Singer for her daughters to attend the University of Southern California as an athletic recruit. Huffman is expected to go to trial and plead guilty for giving $15,000 to a fraudulent cause and helping her daughter score a better percentage on her SAT.
Loughlin and her husband are awaiting a hearing, scheduled June 3rd, 2019. Huffman was among 13 other parents who agreed to take responsibility for their actions in the scam.
The average amount of prison time for a scandal like this was reported to be a maximum of 20 years, but a plea deal Huffman agreed to made by federal prosecutors recommended only a maximum of four months, although she could end up completely less than that.
Prosecutors are also requiring a $20,000 fine, along with the possibility of passing time in a half-way house.
Many universities and colleges are preparing investigations to search students tied to the scandal, and ultimately expel them from school grounds. A handful of these schools include UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, and the University of California. Here you can find more specific responses from various universities.
It is still unknown if the children of these parents will face any charges related to the scandal.
For more obvious reasons, this scandal has created controversy throughout the college scene with students who may not be as well off as others and work tirelessly to get into their dream school.
Students and the parents have filed class-action lawsuits against any universities that had a connection within the scandal, and Eric Levenson from CNN found many students stating that the process of their admission was “warped and rigged by fraud.”
These lawsuits were pursued in part of unfair competition, violations of consumer law, and negligence, and demanded sorts of compensation and other types of relief.
I am Brinn Akervik and a senior at Sartell High School. I have found myself naturally drawn towards artistic expression, especially through visual media,...
